About

Education

After studying Commerce at college in Chennai, India, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant, the equivalent to a Certified Public Accountant in the US, earning all-India ranks in all three qualifying exams. With this solid foundation, wanting to explore a broader opportunity and knowledge set, he then pursued an MBA at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, focusing on finance, where he was exposed to the latest business concepts, worked in teams with colleagues from diverse educational backgrounds, and learned to blend knowledge with problem-solving and effective communication.

Professional Journey

Kurush’s professional journey, punctuated by decisive transitions and steep learning curves, commenced in 2003 at Lehman Brothers, Tokyo. He was recruited after his MBA to serve in their Interest Rate Strategies Team. This opportunity gave Kurush his first taste of an international corporate environment, the ability to apply his financial knowledge to real-world scenarios, and an enriching new cultural experience. In 2005, he moved to Lehman, New York, and worked with their award-winning Interest Rate Strategies team until 2008, on a varied portfolio of products such as US Government Bonds and Interest Rate Derivatives. Over this time, he built a stellar reputation amongst Lehman’s US client base, including some of the largest US banks, mortgage companies, and pension funds. He made valuable contributions to the team’s growth.

The aftermath of the financial crisis in 2009 necessitated a decisive career shift for Kurush, but he successfully transitioned his analytical and problem-solving skills to a new industry. He found an opportunity with Morgan Stanley, one of the leading Oil-trading firms at the time. Kurush helped them build analytics for their US gasoline and diesel teams, worked with traders to develop profitable strategies, and gained valuable experience trading physical and paper gasoline. His brief trading experience gives him a unique perspective in his analytical work and enables deeper conversations with his trader clients.

In 2014, Kurush joined Freepoint Commodities as their sole oil analyst, contributing extensively to creating their global oil analytics framework and incorporating alternative data into the analysis, especially in a post-Covid world. From 2014 to 2023, he worked closely with over 25 traders, providing market intelligence, supply-demand forecasts, and trade ideas. He covered products across the barrel in the oil space, including crushing crude oil, LPG, gasoline, fuel oil, and refinery margins. In 2022, he was excited to have the chance to broaden his remit and expertise to include renewable fuels and feedstocks such as ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuels, and US soybean oil.

Over his career, Kurush has displayed a particular interest in recruiting, mentoring, and training junior colleagues and guiding them in their careers. He takes pride in seeing them grow into senior roles at various prominent organizations.

Personal Life

Since 2005, Kurush has held an intimate connection with the vibrant city of New York, feeling at home with its fast-paced, diverse nature and rich cultural opportunities. Amidst the bustle of work and the city, he finds tranquility in listening to music and strumming tunes on his guitar. His interests include non-fiction reading, politics, and travel, the latter taking him to locations worldwide rich in history, culture, or natural beauty.

In 2009, Kurush had the unique opportunity to produce a small-budget feature film set in New York and a set of similarly inexperienced co-creators. The movie was released in the US to modest critical, if not commercial, success. This experience was refreshing and challenging, taking him outside his comfort zone in terms of different industries and the experience of effectively running a small business venture instead of a professional job.

Charitable Activities

Committed to giving back to the community, Kurush actively donates to several charities focused on hunger, refugees, legal aid, and the environment. He started volunteering more regularly in mid-2023 to organizations that care for older people and reduce food waste.